Automatic mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus.



4Patfmml Apr.- 23, |9ol. C. E. LUCKE. l AUTUMATIC MAIL BAG CATGHING ANDDELIVEBING APPARATUS.

(Application lad Aug. 24, 1900.)

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(Application led Aug. 24, 1900.)

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C. E. LOCKE. AUTOMATIC MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVEBING APPARATUS.

(Application led Aug. 24, 1900.)

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No. 672,832. ranma Apr. 23, lam.

c. E. Locke. AUTUMATIC MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVEBING APPARATUS.

(Appncmun mung. 24, 1900.) (lo Ilqdol.) 4 Sheets-Shogi 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLIE E. LOCKE, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC MAIL-BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERINGAPPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f LESQIS Patent NO. 672,832,'da17ed .April23, 1901.

.,A I n Application iiled August 24, 1900. Serial N0- 27|949 (N0llldfllclass of apparatus which includes an automatic mail-bag catcherarranged on a postal car and another catcher arranged and suspendedoutside of the track.

The invention includes reliable means for suspending and automaticallyreleasing and catching mail-bags on cars and at stations.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows my invention as arrangedfor operation at a station, the car being shown in vertical section.Fig. la is a sectional view illustrating a catch for holding a swingingmail-bag frame in normal position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of theapparatus, the car being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a side view of thespring stop and holder for the swinging frame applied to the car, theview taken being a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sideView of the safety-catch for the swinging frame arranged at a station,the view being taken as a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is aperspective view illustrating the arrangement of the torsion-lever foropening the safety catch for releasing a swinging frame on a car. Fig. 6is a longitudinal section of the spring-stop for the swinging fra'mearranged at the station. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same, part beingin section. Fig. 8 is a perspective viewv of a portion of the deviceshown in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is an end view of one of the mail-bagcatchers. Fig. lO is a perspective view of a modification of thecatcher. Fig. l1 is a plan view of the mailbag suspending and releasingdevice; and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of such device, including aportion of the torsion-lever suspended from and connected to it.

Referring in the first instance to Figs. l and 2, A and B indicatemail-bag catchers, one, A, being connected with a car C and the other,B, being located at a station. The catcher A is suspended elastically bycoil-springs a from a horizontal rod or bar d, forming part of aswinging frame D, which is-.journaled in suitable bearings d', attachedto the jamb of the car-door. The said springs o. are connected with a.sleeve d2, which tits loosely on the rod el and is held thereon byscrew-clamps d3, soy that it is adaptedfor convenient attachment andremoval. The other catcher, B, is similarly attached to the horizontalrod e of a swinging frame E by means coil-springs e', secured to thesleeve e2, which is held in place by a clamp e3. The said frame E ispivoted to swing in a horizontal plane by means of the rod e4, which ispivoted in a post F, supported upon ties G, (see Fig. 2,) which areextended laterally from the track for that purpose. This supporting-post F is arranged at the station or other' place wherev mailis to be taken and delivered.

The swingingv frame E is held projected toward the track by means of aswinging spring-catch H, (see Figs. l and 1%) which is pivoted on theupper end of an arm j', projecting laterally and upward from the post F.The catch H is adapted to rock on its pivot, but is held normallyvertical by means of springs h, which are coiled around its pivot andextend up on its sides. The upper end of the catch is recessed toreceive the rod or bar e, forming part of the swinging frame E. Thetension of the spring h holds the catch normally vertical,whereby theframe E is held against the pressure of the wind or from beingaccidentally swung out of position; but thecatch yields and allows theframe to swing when the mail-bag is received by the catcher A. I show inFigs. 1, 6, 7, and 8 a safety spring-stopl for the swinging frame E.This device is secured to an arm f of the post F and arranged in ahorizontal position. It consists of a curved arm 7,', having aspringclasp i?, which receives and holds the rod e of the frame E whenthe latter swings around into position, as shown by the dotted lines inFig. 1. The said arm iis attached to stretch or tension springs i3,which are arranged in the barrels 4, arranged parallel and secured to aplate 5, which is removable and reversible. The said plate 5 rests uponand is snpported by a fixed plate i6, secured on the arm f. The meansfor attaching it so that it may be reversed consist of a shoulderedcatch 'i7 (See Fig. 6.) The said and a pin or stud i8.

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catch i7 enters a slot, and the pin s enters a hole in the plate 716. Itis apparent that by 4this means the spring-stop I may be arranged toengage and arrest the swinging frame E in either direction, since it isadapted to be reversed by raising its free end, so as to release the pin8, and then draw it diagonally upward, so as to release the catch 7.

Within the car C (see Fig. 2) I arrange another spring-stop J forreceivingthe bar d of the swinging frame D, attached to the car. Theremay be two such stops employed to receive both of the horizontal bars offrame D, if preferred. The stop comprises curved springs j, which arebent outward atI their front ends to facilitate the entrance of the rodd and the spring-stop proper, j, against which the rod d strikes.

It will be understood that mail-bags may be received and deliveredsimultaneously at any station. For this purpose the swinging frames Dand E are` swung outwardly from the car C and the post F, respectively,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The mail-bag to be delivered from the carissuspended from the frame D, while the mail-bag to be delivered to thecar at the station is suspended from the swinging frame E. The means forsuspending and automatically releasing the mailbags is shown best inFigs, 11 and l2. It consists of curved spring fingers or jaws 7c, whichare arranged opposite and journaled on the rods d and e and heldnormally closed by wire springs k2. The latter are coiled about the rodsd and e, and the jaws open vertically. The device K is held in normalhorizontal position by set-screws k3 and 7a4. The screw 7c3 passesthrough the shank or journal portion of the upper jaw c, and the screws704 pass through portions of the lower jaw 7c'. When the device K ispointed in one direction, as shown in Fig. 12, the screws 7a4 hold ithorizontal,and the upper jaw lois left free; but when the device K isreversed, so as to point in the opposite direction, the screwslf;u1 areloosened and the screw 7c3 tightened, so as to leave free the other jaw7c', which is then uppermost. Thus whichever jaw is uppermost is the onerequired to be left free to be raised for the purpose of releasing amail pouch or bag. Such upperjaw is raised automatically by means of aspring lever-arm L, which is coiled about the rod CZ or e and extendeddown to a pendent lever or tappet M. When such tappet is struck byswinging frame D or E, it swings forward and rotates the spring L on theadjacent rod, so that its free arm Z the device attached to the swingingcar-frame D has a torsion-lever N attached to it, as shown best in Fig.5. This lever extends beneath the rod d", and its inner end is fiattenedhorizontally and lies between the jaws of the spring-catch O, (see Fig.4,) whose curved free ends embrace and clasp the rod d4. Such catch isattached to the casing or jamb of the car-door and serves to hold theframe D open or swung out, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,against pressure ofthe wind and the swaying motion of the car.

It will be seen that when the pendent tappet M strikes the rod or bar eof the extended station-frame E the bar N will be turned so that its datend will assume an angle and open the catch O, as shown by dotted lines,Fig. 4C, thus releasing the rod d, so that the frame D swings into thecar.

The general operation 'of my invention, briey stated, is as follows:Upon approaching a mail-station the frame D is swung out of car C, witha mail-pouch suspended by a device K, attached to the upper rod d. AcatcherAis also suspended from the samerod, as shown in Fig. 1. Theframe Eis also swung out at the station and a mail-pouch hung fromdevice K on its rod e. Suppose the car to be moving in direction of thearrow, Fig. 2. Then the rod d of car-frame D will strike the tappet M onrod e of station-frame E and cause instant release of the pouch theresnspended, which pouch will fall into catcher A. On the other hand, therod @of station-frame E will strike the tappet of the device K,whichsuspends a pouch from the rod d4 of the carframe D, and the catcher Areceives such pouch. At the same time the torsion bar or lever N opensthe catch O, so that the frame D may be swung into the car C. Thusreception and delivery of bags or pouches occur simultaneously andautomatically as respects both car and station. In this operation theframes D and Eswing free from their safety-catches O and H and back intoengagement with safety-stops J and I, respectively.

The catchers A and B are preferably made of wire, as shown in Figs.:1,2, and'9; but they may' be made of other materialfor example, sheetmetalas shown in Fig. 10. The said catchers are hollow cylinders, savethat a quarter-segment is cut out, the horizontal side of the segmentbeing closed and the vertical side open, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, a swinging framejournaled as specied and having a horizontal arm, a mail-bag catcher,and springs suspending it, whereby it is adapted to swing in a verticalplane, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination withthe horizontally-swinging frame having a horizontal arm, of theattachment comprising the mail-bag IOO IIO

catcher, a sleeve adapted to slide on said arm, and spiral springsconnecting the catcher with said sleeve, as shown.

3. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the catcher having acylindrical body with a quarter-segment cut out, the horizonframe, of aspring-catch which is set vertically and recessed at its upper end, andadapted to swing in a vertical plane, and a spring which holds the samenormally vertical, whereby said catch is adapted to engage and hold theframe normally extended and to lock and release the same when duepressure is applied,substantially as shown and described.

6. In a inail-bag catching and delivering apparatns, the combinationwith a swinging frame, of a spring safety-stop, and a catch forreceiving and holding the frame closed or out of use, substantially asshown and described.

7. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination witha swinging frame, of a spring stop and holder comprisingtension-springs, and a curved arm attached to the same, and having aspring-clasp for receiving a portion of the frame, substantially asshown and described.

8. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the Vcombinationwith a swinging frame, of a spring stop or buffer which is adapted forreversal, and to be held fixed in either position, substantially asshown and described.

9. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination witha swinging frame, and a fixed plate havinga slot as specified, of thespring stop or buffer havinga plate provided with' a catch adapted toenter and engage said slot, whereby the stop is adapted for reversal, asspecified.

10. In a mail-bag catching and deliveringapparatus, the combination witha swinging frame, of the device for suspending and automaticallyreleasing a mail bag or pouch, the same comprising opposing jaws,clamp-screws for holding the same extended horizontally,

the upper jaw being left free, and a spring for holding the jawsnormallyclosed, a springlever for engaging and opening the upper jaw,

a tappet connected with such spring-lever,

and pendent therefrom and adapted to be operated in the mannerdescribed.

11. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combinationwith a swinging frame attached to a car, and a spring-catch which holdsthe said frame normally open, of a device for suspending a mail-bag, atorsionlever suspended from said frame, and its inner end engaging saidcatch, substantially as shown and described, whereby when saidtorsion-lever is actuated by contact with a frame or device at astation, it is rotated more or less to open the jaws of the catch andthere-by release a swinging frame held by the latter, as specied.

y CHARLIE E. LOCKE. Witnesses:

AMos W. HART, SoLoN C. KEMON.

